


In rain or shine you've stood by me

by AHardLifee



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018) Actor RPF
Genre: Fluff, Happy Ending, Love Confessions, M/M, Minor Character Death, Mutual Pining, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2019-07-17
Packaged: 2020-06-29 21:21:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19838728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AHardLifee/pseuds/AHardLifee
Summary: “As soon as Ben walked into the room, script in one hand, coffee in the other and a winning smile on his face, Joe knew he was fucked. Totally and utterly fucked.”





	In rain or shine you've stood by me

**Author's Note:**

> Okay... this is my first fic ever, so I hope you like it.
> 
> Thank you to Flor for being my beta reader and urging me to finally write something. You are the best, my Deaky ♥
> 
> And also, thank you to all the people on a lovely groupchat who encouraged me to finish this. You guys know who you are... you truly are the best ♥
> 
> Enjoy!

Joe has always been “the kid from Jurassic Park” and don’t get him wrong, he loved it. He loved being the annoying kid who loves dinosaurs; but he also wanted to be more. He had done his fair share of movies and tv shows in his thirty-something years in the industry, but nothing as big as that dinosaur movie. Until… Until Bohemian Rhapsody happened.  
That movie, oh that movie changed him in ways that he could never have imagined back then when he sent the producers those pictures posing with the bass. Joe always thought that he walked out of sets with a little bit of his characters burnt into his heart, but playing John Richard Deacon brought him more than just a little change in his way of thought. 

First of all, it gave him the chance to be recognised by more than just the annoying but cute little kid with the blue bandana that showered Sam Neill with questions while they ran around a park full of deadly dinosaurs.  
Second of all, he got to work with Brian Fucking May and Roger Fucking Taylor. Did he ever mention that Bohemian Rhapsody was the first song he downloaded in Napster? Cause it was. They were legends and he got to work with them.  
Thirdly, he acted alongside an amazing cast and found in them more than just work camaraderie; he found a family, which brought him up when he was the lowest and stayed no matter what happened or how bad his mood was.

And lastly, but most importantly, he met Benjamin Jones, or Ben Hardy as he prefers to be called in the industry. The blond turned his world upside down, and it wasn’t because of the usual cliche of “I was straight until I met him.” No. Joe was bisexual and had had his fun with many men and women (even both at the same time, but don’t tell the press or they’ll make a feast out of it.) So, no, Ben didn’t turn Joe bisexual but he sure turned his life around for certain. 

It started as soon as they met at the table reading for the film. He definitely was star struck to be meeting Queen and he was delighted to be reunited with his old friend Rami after a long time of not seeing him (they were co-stars in a show called The Pacific, but that’s a story for another time; maybe for an interview during the press tour), but as soon as Ben walked into the room, script in one hand, coffee in the other and a winning smile on his face, Joe knew he was fucked. Totally and utterly fucked. Ben was perfect in every sense of the word. Fit. Pretty face. Deep rich voice with an English accent -if chocolate was a voice, Ben’s would be it. And most importantly, he had a heart of gold. The ginger had to make an effort to not stare, which was proved to be really difficult, and go back to the conversation he had been having with Rami and Gwilym. Ben approached them and introduced himself, still grinning -mental note: he also had a perfect smile- before asking them what they were talking about. And that was it. It was easy between the four of them; they became inseparable since day one. And Joe loved them all, but with Ben, it was definitely different. 

Now, Joe never used the word love lightly, never. But it was stupid not to admit that he was totally and madly in love with Ben. And each day that passed, each scene, each lunch break, each shared car to their apartments, confirmed that. He wasn’t going to act on his feelings. No, Sir. Mainly because of two reasons: number one, Ben had a girlfriend. And number two, Ben never gave a hint he liked guys. So that was it; he just had to wait for all this to finish, go back to his normal life in the States and forget about Ben. Yeah. That was a flawless plan. But, just like everything else in his life, it wasn’t flawless. Mainly for two reasons again. Number one, Ben admitted he swung both ways (casually while they were discussing previous relationships at lunch. And Joe may have or may have not choked a little with his fries -and yes, it was fries, not chips. Alright British people?) And number two, Ben’s girlfriend broke up with him during filming. There went Joe’s plan; he had no excuses. Well, there was one, but apparently, it wasn’t a valid one according to some friends -he told him about the crush with a friend, but not who- Ben couldn’t possibly like him. How could someone as Ben have eyes for someone like Joe? He was proud of himself for coming up with that reason. Gold star for you Mr Mazzello. Joe didn’t want to lose his friend for something like that. Yes, he was in love, but he preferred to bottle it all up inside in order to keep this precious friendship. 

One month went by, then two, and they got closer and closer. Just like their counterparts in the movie, their friendship was more special than with Gwil and Rami. Almost every night Ben crashed on the apartment the production rented for Joe, claiming that it was nearer from set than his home -which was bullshit, they were almost the exact same distance, but he could never say no to the blond. And with every night that passed, Joe’s feelings got stronger. He had to do something or he might burst. By the middle of the fifth month of filming, the ginger decided he could not hold it anymore. Either Ben took him or pushed him away, he didn’t care, he had to take it out of his system. Actually, no, that was a complete lie; he did care. He would be heartbroken if Ben decided not to talk to him ever again.

He was going to wait until they finished eating dinner, so as not to attack him right away when they were still in their filming mindset. They would move to the couch for their usual movie and he would say it right there. Raw and simple. Pour his feelings out and be done with it. But as previously stated, Joe’s plans never worked out as he mapped them. Just as they were deciding what to cook, his mother called. It was the call he most dreaded to receive and there it was. His dad had passed away. He wasn’t sure what happened after his mother uttered those words. But Ben did and he had told him when he came around hours later. He had dropped his phone, broke down in tears and almost fallen to the floor if it weren’t for Ben catching him. He didn’t remember Ben taking him to the couch and laying him down carefully. He didn’t remember the blond calling Joe’s mother. Nothing. It was all blank. The shock, the doctor told him. Oh, yeah, Ben had also called a doctor to check on him. All blank. 

The production gave him a week off to go to the States to plan and attend the funeral. The others offered to go with him (Rami, Gwilym, Allen, Lucy, Ben, even Tom, who wasn’t as close as the others but also cared) but he wanted to go alone. He needed to go alone to say goodbye to his dad. It was unfair that someone like his father passed away when he was a being of light, who always wanted to make everyone around him feel happy. It was unfair that he had to go through that much pain. It was unfair he was gone so soon when Joe wasn’t even around to hold his hand while he- It wasn’t fair. End of the story. 

Joe came back to London five days later, tired, worn out, sad, broken and, overall, lost. He had two more days until he had to come back and he decided to spend them at his apartment, trying to recover as best as he could. He knew he couldn’t expect the others to drop by during the day, they didn’t have their schedules cleared out, but he would be lying if he said he wouldn’t like some company. As he wasn’t expecting anyone, the doorbell ringing was a bit of a surprise. He got up from the sofa, still wrapped in a blanket, and went to the door. “Who is it?” He asked with a raspy voice, due to lack of use and crying. “It’s me, buddy, open up,” came Ben’s voice from the other side. “I brought you the chocolate fudge cake you like… from Bird bakery,” the blond added. Joe smiled despite everything and opened the door. Ben was there with his favourite cake, trying to cheer him up when he should be on set- wait. Ben should be on set. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be filming?” Joe asked with a slight frown. “Oh, thank you for the warm welcome. I asked for the day off and as they knew I’d use it to come here to check on you, they allowed it. They’re filming mostly with Rami and Aaron today so… do you want me to go? I understand you want to be alone but maybe some company could help…” Ben trailed off, looking down at his feet; he was adorable. Joe shook his head in disbelief and stepped back to let him in. “You pick the movie, I’ll bring the forks.”

Eventually, it got better. With time and loads of help from his friends; and it wasn’t because he loved Ben, but the blond had been the most helpful and caring of them all. He went back to Joe’s flat every night, made sure he ate and even hugged him in bed when Joe couldn’t conceal sleep. And yeahp, that last thing wasn’t helping at all to Joe’s ~~huge~~ little crush. Waking up to those strong arms still holding him and that angelic face resting next to his own weren’t making his feelings go away. He could spend hours watching him sleep, which was creepy, he knew that, but he couldn’t help it; Ben looked so peaceful and beautiful asleep. 

The “cuddling while sleeping” thing became a routine for them and neither questioned it. They came back from set, cooked or ordered take out, ate while watching a movie and then went to sleep in Joe’s bed. Just two friends cuddling, it was completely normal. Ben admitted to sleep better while accompanied. Joe needed someone to be there for him in case he had a nightmare, which happened frequently after his father died. Simple as that, right? One particular morning, after spending a long night shooting, he didn’t know why -his brain was surely not working properly- he reached up and, while Ben was still asleep, put a strand of hair out of the other’s forehead, cursing himself immediately after doing so. How had he been so careless? What if Ben was awake? What if he woke Ben up by doing so? Shit. Shit. Shit. But after five minutes of nothing happening, Joe was sure he was safe and decided to get up to go prepare breakfast for both. A few mornings later, he decided to be more adventurous and traced Ben’s jaw gently with his fingertips; after all, Ben was a heavy sleeper, right? He had tested it days ago. Wrong. So so wrong. Ben stirred slightly and smiled softly with his eyes still closed. “That’s a nice way to wake up…” the blond murmured with a raspy voice. “Morning Joe.” Joe froze and he was sure he was as white as the sheets on his bed. Please let this be a nightmare. Please let this be a nightmare. The ginger kept repeating in his mind, his eyes closed tightly as if that would make him go back in time or something. “Joe? You okay?” Ben asked, moving to his side to check on him. “Open your eyes, buddy. I know you’re awake. Tell me what’s wrong,” he insisted in a murmur with his chocolate-like voice. Damn him, it was irresistible. “I’m fine. I’m- I’m fine, yeah. Sorry about what happened. I didn’t- I mean, I meant it. But- shit. I can’t even come up with an excuse. I’m sorry,” he murmured in a hurry, still with his eyes shut tightly. Ben sighed and cupped Joe’s jaw with one hand -the one belonging to the arm that wasn’t under Joe’s neck. “Joe, look at me, please. You can’t say nonsense and expect me to understand, at least not this early. Besides, what are you sorry for? I really liked being woken up like that,” Ben admitted, caressing the other’s cheek with his thumb. Joe could hear the engines of his brain stopping with a loud whirring. Ben said what now? Rewind it. Ben liked being woken up like that by Joe. Go deeper. Ben liked Joe caressing his face. That’s it. Holy shit. “Come on, open your eyes and let’s talk about it,” the blond insisted and as the other didn’t reply, he added “Fine, okay. I guess I’ll have to do all the work.” And that was all the warning Joe got before Ben was kissing him. 

Joe’s mind went into overdrive the instant Ben’s lips touched his. The kiss was slow and soft but also demanding. Desperate? It seemed like it, as if Ben had been waiting for as long as Joe had. After a few moments of not kissing back -he was in shock, mind you- the blond started pulling back. Oh no. ‘Not on my watch,’ thought the ginger before he was pulling the other closer by his tshirt and kissing him back with all the passion and need which had been building up since the blond said: “Hi, I’m Ben, a pleasure to meet you.” He had to break the kiss after… seconds? Minutes? Hours? He didn’t know but he needed to breathe, so he slowly pulled back and opened his eyes, meeting Ben’s blue ones. “Well, that was-” he started, only to be interrupted by the other. “Amazing?” Joe smiled and nodded. “Amazing. Do we need to talk about it?” He asked, his hands now cupping the blond’s cheeks. “Maybe over breakfast, I’m starving. Want me to prepare pancakes?” Joe chuckled and nodded, biting his lower lip slightly. “Only if you put chocolate chips in them.” Ben smiled and hesitated for a second before pecking the ginger’s lips and getting up, walking out of the bedroom and to the kitchen. Joe, on the other hand, didn’t get up; he stayed in bed facing the ceiling, thinking of what had just happened. He pinched himself, he had to, and smiled as he confirmed he was indeed very much awake. Awake and Ben had kissed him moments prior. Joe brought his fingertips to his lips and swore he could still feel Ben’s lips on his own; the kiss had been amazing and he couldn’t wait to have more. That was if Ben wanted to have more. He took a deep breath and gathered some courage before getting up, putting on a hoodie to go join Ben in the kitchen.  
The blond was already making the pancakes, a mug of coffee in one hand and a spatula in the other, moving it in the air at the beat of the music coming from his phone as if it were a drumstick. “Rehearsing while making breakfast? Great multitasking,” the ginger commented as he recognised the song to be Fat bottomed girls. Ben turned around and grinned at him, and Joe could swear he never saw the other grin that brightly. “Well, you caught me,” the blond replied as he set down what he was holding to pour a mug of coffee for Joe, who muttered a soft thank you before taking a sip of it. “So… we should talk about what happened,” the blond started, turning his attention back to the pancakes so they wouldn’t burn. “What I did, it might have been a lot. It was impulsive and I’m sorry. We don’t ha-” “Stop. Stop. Stop,” Joe interrupted him. “If you didn’t notice, I kissed back. And I really want to do that again. But it depends on what you want from it… you just want to hook up or…” he asked softly, really really scared of the answer. Ben made sure to place the pancakes on a plate before going to stand in front of Joe and taking the mug from his hold to set it down so he could hold Joe’s hands. “I want everything you want to give me. Everything, if you let me. I’m that selfish,” Ben admitted, looking at Joe to his eyes. “I want to give you everything and I want everything from you. _I’m that selfish,_ ” the ginger murmured, almost shyly. Ben leaned down and kissed him lovingly, bringing his hands to cup his cheeks. “I have to finish those pancakes, darling, but hold that thought,” he whispered against his lips before stepping back and turning to the stove to prepare the last batch of pancakes. “So… to be clear. We’re… we’re together?” Joe stammered, sitting at the kitchen island. “I guess we are, yeah,” Ben said as he placed a plate with a stack of pancakes in front of the ginger. “Now eat up, we have to be on set in two hours.” The blond sat across from him and winked at him before he started eating. And that was it. Nothing special. A sweet kiss and chocolate chip pancakes. They decided to keep it a secret for a little while, at least until they were sure of it. And then they’d tell their friends and family. God knows (haha, got it?) when would they tell the public. The press was going to be a nuisance. And the fans… Oh, the fans. It was going to be like opening Pandora’s box. But they would be fine, Joe knew that. Did he?

They tried to wait, but their excitement and happiness took the best of them and settled on telling their friends sooner, just mere days after the kiss happened. They arrived on set together, smiling like fools, and walked to their friends, who were chatting excitedly. “Now that you’re here…” Rami started, taking Lucy’s hand and smiling at her lovingly.”We wanted to tell you-” “We’re together,” she finished, grinning at their friends. And fuck. Joe was happy for them. So so happy. But he was also a bit sad that they couldn’t say it first. What were the fucking chances anyway? The group were spending too much time together and were even starting their love life in sync. Damn you universe. Anyway, the ginger watched his now brand new boyfriend and shrugged with a little smile before going to hug the other two and congratulate them. They could wait after all.

They settled on a week, a week and they’ll tell them. It couldn’t come soon enough. But honestly, if the others didn’t realize they should be considered blind. The little glances, caresses and smiles that they shared spoke millions of words. They weren’t advertising their love but they weren’t hiding it either. Well, Joe wasn’t showing his love literally, he knew it was too soon to say those three words out loud. And he didn’t want to scare Ben away for rushing it. Joe too had to wait. Anyway, going back to the others, maybe they didn’t notice because, in the end, Joe and Ben had been like this since the start; they had had a special bond since the beginning and the others simply accepted it as part of their friendship. If that was the case, oh boy they were in for a treat.

A week passed and Joe and Ben had decided to go hard or go home -no pun intended (Really, they haven’t gone past from making out). Joe got out of the car and waited for Ben to do too before he jumped on his back, Ben barely managing to grab him. “Carry me, slave,” he said jokingly as he clung to him and kissed his cheek several times. Ben laughed while he moved him a bit so the ginger wasn’t strangling him, or his sensitive parts weren’t at risk. “You, sir, are a menace,” the blond added with a chuckle as he made his way to set. As per usual, the other simply smiled and waved at them, after all, the couple was always playful like that. “You two look chippy and bright this morning,” Lucy greeted them before taking a sip of her cup.”Yup, we got AMAZING news to tell you guys,” Joe replied as he rested his head on top of Ben’s. “Oh please tell me what I’m thinking you’re gonna tell me,” Gwil interrupted with a slight smirk. “Uhm… I don’t know if it’ll be that. But, uhm… Ben and I have been seeing each other… Like, romantically, for the past weeks.” There were a few seconds of silence before Gwilym threw his arms in the air. “Yes! I won! Pay up, everybody! ALLEN!” He called out after the other as he ran up to said man. “Wait, what?” Ben frowned, glancing from Rami to Lucy and then up at Joe. “Oh, yeah. We had an ongoing bet on you two. Gwil won twenty quid from each of us,” Lucy explained with a shrug and a slight mischievous smirk. “Don’t be mad at us, but we had to make it fun. We were getting frustrated watching you two being all… you. And not realizing how gone you were for each other,” Rami added as he stole Lucy’s cup to drink some coffee. “Wait, you knew we liked each other, and you did nothing?” Joe asked, matching Ben’s frown. “We didn’t want to interfere in case we were wrong. But let me tell you, even Brian and Roger placed their bets.” Joe was at a loss of words. He could expect something like this from his friends but… but Brian and Roger as well? “Were we that oblivious?” Ben asked, just as surprised as his boyfriend. “Yeah, mate. You should have seen it from our perspective,” Rami said, the English accent sticking to his American one. “It was really painful, darlings,”Lucy added. “But hey! We’re so so happy for you! We placed the bets cause we knew you had a future and you are so cute together,” she continued, always a bright smile on her face. Bless her. “But not cuter than you two, I bet,” Joe joked, still not leaving his comfortable place on Ben’s back. “Obviously not, darling,” Rami interrupted with a wink, Freddie’s mannerisms showing spectacularly. And that was it. Simple as that, at least with his friends. And yeah, Gwilym won the bet against everyone on set who had put money on it. Roger bet they were going to get together in one month; Brian in three. And telling them was like telling your over understanding grandparents: full of sweetness and love. 

The next step was telling their families and what a perfect way to do it than to tell them in person. No point on highlighting anything of how Ben’s family reacted, they all took it perfectly fine. Mostly his brother, who had been pestering Ben nonstop for him to confess. And he told Joe exactly that in person when Ben brought him to visit his family in Sherborn -just days before wrapping up with the movie. Joe kindly told him that his brother was the brave one and took the initiative, and it took him a lot by surprise. “That’s… that’s crazy. He has always been a coward when it came to love,” he joked with a smirk. “Mike, stop it,” Bn warned him, making his brother drop the subject. And Joe didn’t want to dig in on that… but Mike did say love. ‘Maybe just lightly, as an idea,’ Joe thought. Surely that. They left their house hours later, Joe already feeling like part of the family.

Luckily for them, the first leg of the press tour was going to be London and then shortly after, America, which was really convenient for Joe, who wanted to drag Ben along to meet his family. The couple arrived in New York after their time in Los Angeles, and even though his family knew about how Joe felt about the blond, they knew nothing about the relationship. So after all the interviews were done, they took a taxi and went straight to his mother’s house. As per his request, his siblings were there, no one suspected a thing; after all, he had been away for months and they wanted to get together. So when he arrived with the blond on tow, everyone was left speechless. Oh, how he loved this. Joe smiled at his brother, the one who opened the door, held Ben’s hand tightly and walked inside. “Joe, love, I’m so ha- Oh… Hi Ben. Joe didn’t tell me you were coming accompanied,” his mother, Virginia, said, glancing in between his son and the blond. “Well, mom, it’s a surprise. I wanted you to meet my boyfriend after all.” And that was it basically. His mother hugged them both and his sister congratulated him on finally making a move -which Ben politely pointed out that he was the one who had made it, as Joe had explained his brother the same. Smoother and simpler than picking a movie on Netflix.

However, Joe wanted to do something else; something he felt he needed to do. The next morning, the ginger woke up early and ordered them breakfast, making some time as he gathered the words he was going to say. When the time came, and they both were silently having breakfast in bed, he found out he wasn’t prepared at all. “You’re quiet. I don’t like when you’re quiet,” Ben said, interrupting the silence. “I want you to meet my dad,” Joe finally managed to mutter. Why was it so hard? Maybe because it was the first time he was going to visit his grave after what had happened. Maybe because he would have loved for his dad to meet Ben after he had spent so many hours talking to him about the blond. Maybe because he wasn’t ready to face the reality that his father was no longer there. Well, the answer was all of them. “I mean…” Joe started again, clearing his throat and trying to make the lump formed there go away. “I want you to come with me to visit my dad’s… my dad’s grave. You don’t have to, it was just an idea and-” “Darling, please, stop,” Ben interrupted the rant Joe was about to start, reaching to rest his hand on his boyfriend’s knee. “I’ll go with you. It’ll be my pleasure. I know it’s not the same, and believe me when I say I would have loved to meet him in other circumstances. But I want to go with you. I have to ask for permission to date you after all.” The blond smiled softly and leaned in for a kiss, making all of Joe’s doubts go away.  
They visited his dad’s grave that same day, after their second round of interviews; they were a bit tired but they were leaving in a few days and Joe didn’t want to risk having no time for it. On their way there, the couple stopped at a flower shop and Ben was the one to pay -much to Joe’s protest- for the colourful bouquet. “Those are pretty and the little ones match the sweater you’re wearing,” the blond commented with a soft smile. “And these match your eyes,” Joe added as he pointed at one of the big light blue flowers in the bouquet. It was hard, there was no doubt about it, but he had Ben by his side, his arm wrapped around his waist; Ben got him. They remained in silence for a bit, staring at the name engraved on the marble, until Joe spoke up. “H-hey… hey dad,” he started, his voice coming a bit broken. “We finished filming and we’re on the press tour now, we did a stop here.” He snuggled closer to Ben and smiled a bit sadly at him. “Remember Ben? You… you never met him. God… I wish you had cause he’s amazing. And yeah, I told you that thousands of times, I know. But he is, and… he’s my boyfriend now. He had the courage to kiss me first. I told you I was a coward…” he wiped away a few tears with his sleeve, shaking slightly as he contained a few sobs. “I wish you were here, dad. You would’ve loved the movie and would’ve enjoyed turning Ben into a Yankees’ fan. I will do that, don’t worry. I’m not gonna be with someone who’s a Red Sox’s fan.” He chuckled, even though it was mixed with another sob. Ben pulled him close and hugged him tightly, kissing his temple. “It’s okay, you can let it out, babe. You don’t have to pretend you’re okay,” he murmured soothingly, caressing the other’s hair gently. And that did it, Joe broke down in his arms, just how he broke down several times after he got the news of his father’s passing. The ginger cried until his eyes stung, his breath hitched and when he was sure he was dry out of tears. “T-thank you,” he muttered. “He really would’ve adored you, you know? I’m sure he would’ve sat you down on the living room, handed you a beer and tried to explain why the Yankees are superior while explaining baseball to you. I guess that’s my duty now,” he breathed out, glancing back at his father’s resting place. “Wanna go?” Joe asked softly, pulling back from the embrace a little bit. “You go, I need a moment alone with him,” the blond replied before kissing him softly. Joe nodded and muttered an “I love you, dad,” before walking away. Ben waited until the other was at a reasonable distance before he spoke up. “I wish I could have met you too, Mr Mazzello. Joe talked about you so much… he adored you.” He sighed, looking down at his feet as he kicked a little stone. “I really love your son, he doesn’t know it yet, but I do love him very much. You raised an amazing man and… I know it’s late but, I really wanted to ask for your permission to date him and maybe marry him in the future. Not now though… I know it’s too soon.” He approached at the wall and fixed a few flowers, sighing softly, a little bit of wind blowing which made him smile a little; as if it were some kind of signal, an approval of some sort. “I promise to take care of him and never hurt him. And I also promise I’ll never be a Red Sox’s fan, I’ll go and buy a Yankees tshirt as soon as I can.” He chuckled and stepped back. “Thank you for everything, Mr Mazzello.” The blond nodded and walked away to meet his boyfriend, wiping a few tears from his cheeks. He didn’t know if Joe’s father would’ve really approved of him, but Ben liked to think he would. “You okay, Ben?” The ginger asked softly, reaching to take his hand. “Mhm… I’m good. Just promising your dad I would go and buy a Yankees tshirt as soon as we leave this place,” Ben replied with a gentle smile. “And you? You okay?” He asked back, which Joe nodded in response. “I’m healing. Thank you for what you did back there, I needed it,” he admitted as they walked out, hand in hand. “You don’t need to thank me, Joe. We all need to be vulnerable from time to time.”  
Just as promised, they went and bought Ben a Yankees tshirt after that, and when they came back to the hotel, Ben ordered food while Joe picked a game so he could start teaching his boyfriend the glorious sport that baseball was. Ben still thought football was the best sport to ever exist, but he couldn’t disagree with Joe, not when he was so passionate about the Yankees.

After the American press tour, it was time for them to go separate ways. But the parting was easier said than done. They were going to be only two weeks, but they would barely be able to talk to each other: time differences, Joe’s interviews and Ben’s filming schedules, made it almost impossible for them to coordinate calls. Even the text messages were replied after hours of being received. It was going to be hell and they realized that their parents were right when they said that you cherish something much more when you lose it. And to add insult to injury, Joe brought Cardi B into the party. Ben -the real one- wasn’t jealous of the cardboard figure. No. Well, maybe. But only because it was there with his boyfriend and his friends. He loved his job, loved the new movie he was doing, but he also wanted to just get over it and go with them. Have fun, get drunk in a karaoke bar and kiss Joe stupid. And Joe missed the blond a well, the cardboard was nothing but a joke and he had to admit that every time he saw it, it made him remember his boyfriend wasn’t there. That didn’t mean he didn’t have fun though, his friends made sure to entertain him when they sensed he was getting ‘Ben withdrawal’ -as they put it. Can you blame Joe or Ben? Their relationship was new and they pinned for each other for months prior to their first kiss; also add that they were still on their honeymoon phase in which they couldn’t keep their hands away from each other. Besides, Rami and Lucy were there together and didn’t have to miss each other, so they couldn’t even begin to complain about how much Joe missed his boyfriend. Not. Fair. So, yeah, those two weeks were hell, but they finally ended. Joe was flying back straight to the States for the premiere, Ben already there waiting for him, even though Ben couldn’t be at the gate as they both had wanted to as someone might see him. The ginger got a text as he was retrieving his luggage with the location of his boyfriend, who was waiting in his car in the parking lot, which made him extremely excited and happy and yeah, maybe he was stupidly smiling at his phone and the lady next to him was looking at him weirdly, but he was at less than ten minutes from getting his boyfriend back next to him. He didn’t run, it would be suspicious, but he did walk faster than normal, looking around for the black Jaguar with the stupidly handsome driver. He spotted him in record time -seriously, someone should give him a medal- and got in; and his mind went blank. He just stared at the other, still the stupid smile on his face, not saying anything. “Love? You okay?” Ben asked with almost the same smile but tinted with a bit of confusion. And that voice, oh he had missed that rich voice, which the phone didn’t do justice. The ginger nodded and before his boyfriend could have the chance to reply, he brought him closer by his shirt and kissed him deeply (thank god for tinted windows). “Well, hello to you too, babe,” Ben murmured against his lips as they parted to take some air. “Let’s go home and we can finally show how much we missed each other,” the blond added with a smirk. “Fuck, yeah. Please,” Joe breathed out. By far, those have been the longest and cruellest two weeks of Joe’s life.

Now… the last and most terrifying thing they had to do was to break it to everyone else. They had told the ones that mattered the most to them, but they had to tell the rest of the world; or the rest of the world that were interested in their personal life. Not because they felt they owed it to them, but because they preferred to tell them themselves than to be caught by someone, be it the press or a fan, and outed to the world. No. They weren’t going to give them that privilege. So, they settled on a funny video on Joe’s channel. The video was short, simple, funny and sweet. Cardi B was on the couch, Joe next to it while he watched something on the tv, when suddenly Ben barged into the room, pushed the cardboard figure from the couch and settled next to Joe, wrapping his arms around his neck and kissing his cheek. Joe chuckled and turned his head back to kiss him softly on the lips. “Stop being so jealous, I picked you in the end, didn’t I?” The ginger chuckled. Ben glared again at the figure of himself on the floor. “I know, but he’s still creepy and was in my spot.” And that was it… for the video. The internet went crazy. Absolutely batshit crazy. Some people didn’t believe it: “It’s just clickbait!” And the rest wrote them lengthy replies as to why Hardzzello was very much real. They enjoyed watching the chaos for a few days before Ben took down any doubt with just a comment on the video “Hardzzello is as real as global warming.” It was done, they were out to the world and free to do as they pleased without fear of being caught with anyone with a camera. Yes, now the real focus was for the papz to ‘catch’ them on their ‘new romance’ but they knew that was coming and as actors, they were pretty used to that.

What they weren’t ready for, and what Rami and Lucy warned them about, were the harsh comments and articles that were going to be around. “When are they going to break up?” “Is this a PR to promote BohRhap?” “Is Ben Hardy using Joe’s Jurassic Park fame to kickstart his own?” And blah blah blah… They tried to pay no mind to them; yes, they were cruel, but that comes hand in hand with the industry, just like the paparazzi. But when the nasty comments come from the so-called ‘fans’... those really hurt. “Joe’s not that pretty.” “Ben deserves better.” “It’s not real, guys, it’s obvious it’s publicity just for the movie. Ben looks miserable in the pictures with him.” “Hope they break up soon.” Those were comments in his pictures with Ben, real comments from real people, not any journalist trying to create drama to sell. And those did get Joe. He knew he wasn’t as good looking as Ben. It was a fact; a general truth. But he liked to believe Ben liked him for who he was, and he wasn’t a model, not even close. He was trying too hard to not let Ben notice how badly this was hitting him, trying not to stare too much at the mirror in the morning while they washed their teeth in their shared hotel room, or just dismissing Ben’s compliments with a little smile and a shrug. And the blond wasn’t stupid, he knew what was up. He had read those comments and was one insult away from ripping a head off with his bare hands. How couldn’t they see how happy he was? How in love he was with the ginger… Because yes, Joe wasn’t the only one in love between the two.  
“Joe, come here babe…” Ben murmured from the other side of the couch. They had just come home from dinner and movies and he noticed Joe being off during the whole evening. The ginger moved closer and Ben had to pull him all the way to his body, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend. “You seemed distracted the whole day, Joe, what’s wrong?” The blond was determined on settling everything now, tired of seeing how strangers were affecting his boyfriend; he was going to finally let Joe know that whatever he read online was all bullshit. “It’s just-” Joe started, looking down at his hands. He didn’t want to tell his boyfriend the truth, but he’ll have to do it eventually. Ben saw through him and would notice immediately if he was lying, so he finally settled on the truth. “You know what they say about us, right? That you’re too good for me, too gorgeous. That I’m not even close to deserving you and that you’ll get tired of me eventually. Well, all those things are finally getting to me. And I know, they’re doing it cause they don’t have a better way to spend their time or maybe cause they think they have a chance with you, but it hurts. It hurts to know that they are right. I’m in no way as handsome as you are, and I’m afraid that you’ll notice that I’m not as good either and you’re gonna leave me. I’m terrified of that.” Ben was sure his heart broke then and there, how his boyfriend spoke, so open and on the verge of tears, about his insecurities, and all because people don’t have anything better to do than bully someone on the internet. “Babe, honey, whatever those people say, don’t believe them, okay? They’re not telling the truth…” the blonde said softly, caressing the other’s cheek. “I would never leave, not now, not in two months, not never. You’re stuck with me for as long as you want me around.” Ben pulled him closer to his chest and kissed his temple. “They don’t know anything about us. They are just outsiders who think they’re better than everyone else and try to trash talk people they think they know just by following them on social media. Those people just see me as a piece of meat, a model-like blond who will run away after the next person they have close to them, and you know that’s far from the truth. You see me how I am, much more than my exterior and you always reassure that you’re not with me just only for my looks, cause you know well that’s one of my biggest fears and insecurities. You care about me and listen to me. You’re with me on my highs and my lows, even when I can’t stand myself, you’re there. That’s… that’s more than I’ve ever dreamed about in a relationship. They don’t know how much I love you. I promise I’ll never stop loving you, whether they like it or not.” And it was out… Joe was caught off guard by those three little words. Those three little words he was so scared to say in fear they wouldn’t be said back. Oh, how stupid he was. He slowly looked up and smiled a little. “Y-you love me?” The ginger asked almost in a whisper. “Really? All the things I said and you stuck with that?” Ben asked a bit nervously. Had he fucked up by saying it? Joe nodded and let out a light chuckle before reaching up to kiss him softly. “Mhm, of course I’ll stick with that. But only cause I love you too.”

Their final milestone was the Bohemian Rhapsody premiere as it was going to be their first formal event to go together as a couple. To say that they were nervous was an understatement; they were terrified for what the press would ask or what the fans would say. Their friends, their families, their team, even Brian and Roger, assured them that they were going to be fine, that whatever happened, they got their backs, but it was hard. The criticism and mean comments were still there and still coming, and even though Ben made it clear they were lies and they both tried to ignore them, they were like that little annoying mosquito on a summer afternoon fucking up your fun in the pool.  
Their styling teams arrived at their hotel room more than six hours before the limo would pick them up, claiming that it was better to have them ready early than be fashionably late -much to Ben’s protest whose nap was interrupted. First, was deciding what to wear, for that, they decided to try their clothes on separate parts of the room so they would surprise each other with the big reveal -and darling, did Ben have a huge surprise for his boyfriend. Secondly, they got their make-up done; not too much, but they ended up looking flawless. “As if you needed make-up…” Joe snorted as he stood behind his boyfriend’s chair as they finished applying the mascara. “Jesus, babe… you’re an angel,” he murmured as he kissed his cheek softly, quickly going to sit back down on his own chair before he got yelled at. Thirdly, came their hair, which was just blow drying Joe’s hair and applying some mousse as they arranged it nicely, he didn’t have a lot to manage. And Ben was the same, a little bit of hairdryer, a little bit of gel, and he was done.  
Finally, the time to have their change of clothes had arrived and Joe did it quickly and sat down on the main lounge of their room to wait for his boyfriend, who was taking more time than needed. “Bloody diva,” he muttered under his breath. “The boy did stick you some expressions, didn’t he?” His stylist, Mark, joked, shoving his playfully. “I’m starting to go British, my dad would be mortified.” He chuckled, but said chuckle was replaced by a sound in between a choke and a gasp when the blond stepped out from where he was changing wearing an all-black suit with a sheer black shirt underneath. (And to think that Joe considered he was making a bold decision when he decided to go for the brown colored suit and tie.) He wanted to kick everyone out of the room and take the blond to the bed and… nope. He couldn’t do that, they had a premiere to go. But after that… “Oh, Hardy, you’ll be all mine tonight,” he muttered -almost growled- as he made his way to his boyfriend to kiss him deeply, which earned a few groans from the twenty-or-so people in the room. Oh, yeah, there were people there. “Fuck, sorry…” he laughed along with Ben and fixed his jacket, which he managed to mess in merely seconds. “The limo will be here in fifteen minutes, we should head to the lobby and wait there,” one of the assistants said, interrupting their little moment. 

The ride to the premiere was a short one, which was spent mostly talking about anything but of what was about to happen; they were both nervous and they needed to take their minds off of it. They decided on where they were going to have lunch the next day after they went out shopping for winter clothes, promised to plan a Disney trip much to the blond’s excitement who had never been there… and then the limo stopped. “Alright, this is it,” Ben said softly, giving Joe’s hand -which he held the whole ride- a little kiss. “You ready?” he asked looking at his boyfriend to his eyes as one of the valets opened the door for them. Joe took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a second, and nodded. “I’m ready.” How could he not? He wasn’t alone in this, he had the most supportive boyfriend there was who he knew would do anything for him. And Joe would do anything for his boyfriend. They had each other, and that was what mattered to them the most. They stepped out of the car and in that moment, Ben looked back at him and flashed that same winning smile he remembered from the first day they met. Yeah, they were going to be completely fine.

_“Whatever this world can give to me_  
_It's you you're all I see_  
_You make me live now honey_  
_You make me live…”_


End file.
